Midnight Promises 1
by imjustaguywholikesbloodties
Summary: Its a different kind of love story where Henry learns its ok to let go.
1. Books and Stuff

_Of all the rash and midnight promises made in the name of love, none, Boone knew, was more certain to be broken than "I'll never leave you."_

_What time didn't steal from under your nose, circumstance did. It was useless to hope otherwise, unless to dream that the world somehow meant you good. Everything of value, everything you clung to for your sanity, would rot or be snatched in the long run, and the abyss would gape beneath you, as it gaped for Boone now, and suddenly, without so much as a breath of explanation, you were gone. Gone to hell or worse, professions of love and all._

_His outlook hadn't always been so pessimistic. There's been a time – not so long ago – when he's felt the burden of his mental anguish lifting._ _There'd been fewer psychotic episodes, fewer days when he felt like slitting his wrists rather than enduring the hours till his next medication. There'd seemed to be a chance for happiness._

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He put down the book that seemed to speak too much truth and walked over to his window overlooking the city. Lost in thought he wondered why he had stayed so long. There had been so much heartache over the centuries because of having to say goodbye to those he cared about so often.

She never told him how hard it would be to watch people leave time and time again. He never realized how hard it would be to leave the ones who didn't leave him. Each time his heart broke a little more and slowly but surely he began to regret the decision he made all those years ago.

There were nights he would stare down at the city below and think of everything he could never have. There were men being husbands to their wives. Providing for them, loving them and keeping them safe. There were children, who loved their parents more than anything in the world, despite the kind of people they were. There were families that would gather together to celebrate the holidays. They would share stories and laughter over delicious meals. They were all part of a picture he would never know.

There were times when he would be involved with someone and he would allow himself to think, "Maybe this time it could work, maybe this person could really love me for who I am and not see the monster hiding in me." It never worked out, in the end someone always left.

His desire to find that special someone was like a craving that could not be sated. There was always something special about the women he loved. One held a candle over all the others and until recently he had found himself unable to let her go. He was young then and there was so much he didn't understand. After everything he had seen and been through, he still believed that true love could conquer all. If only someone else would believe it to, then maybe, just maybe things would work.

Looking around at the bare walls and boxes waiting to be unpacked, he hoped this time things could work. He lived in Toronto for too long and should have left long before he did. He hated moving and starting over. There were always too many ghosts from the past that haunted him when he moved. He wondered where she was and if she thought of the promises that were broken.

His latest interest kept him guessing at every turn. She was a very stubborn woman who allowed her past and her present to haunt her. When things were good they protected and looked after each other, but it never, regretfully, went farther than that. He wanted to continue protecting her, but in the end, she would not leave with him. He didn't understand why she chose to stay instead of allowing him to take care of her. She always put everyone else before herself, even if it meant endangering her own life. He cared about her greatly but could not imagine willingly putting himself in harm's way if there was a safer option available. Survival was so important that sometimes it was safer to run, even if it meant abandoning your heart.

_I'll never leave you_. Those four words haunted him and echoed in his mind. He had been afraid to say them so many times over his long life. He finally worked up the courage to say them to her and not hours later, she left him. A demon hurt and killed her friends and she left him to go after it. She'd left him a note that said "_went demon hunting, don't follow me."_ He didn't listen, he used all his contacts to try and find her. After two years of searching he finally and regretfully mourned her as dead and tried to move on. The decision to leave was not easy and it still tore at him. A part of him believed he should have stayed in case she ever returned, the other part of him knew, she'd never be back. Even though he knew he'd never see her again, he lit a candle in the window and said a prayer for her every night. He would have tried to talk her out of going, and if that didn't work he would have gone with her. Everything would have been ok, as long as he was with her.

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The part in italics was borrowed without permission from Clive Barker's book Cabal.

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	2. Something Unexpected

"I'll never leave you" those words haunted him every day of his existence since she left. Memories of that last night together tortured him, constantly entering his mind. He found himself unable to work on his books or on his art. Everywhere he went he thought he saw her, thought he could smell her, longed to touch her, see her, and just be near her. He tried to move on, but inanity held him back. His life had become empty and meaningless. In his prayers he found himself begging God to return her to him or to end his life. He kept in touch with his many contacts, hoping that someone came across some clue to where she might be.

Each morning he laid in bed waiting for the vampire sleep to take him as he thought of her and that last night…of her body against his, the warmth of her lips from her trails of kisses, the taste of her blood and her skin. He wanted her. He craved her. He missed her. He needed her.

One evening he woke to her scent but not her heartbeat… he raced at lighting speed looking for her. Down the hallway, the stairwell, and out onto the street, but there was no sign of her other than her scent. He slowly walked back into his condo…. inhaling the scent of her and wondering why she was here and why didn't she stay. So many questions raced around in his head it was almost overwhelming. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he never heard the sound of a little heartbeat, never noticed the scent of someone who didn't belong until a tiny cry brought him back to reality. Unsure of what was going on he walked back into his bedroom. His slow-beating heart nearly stopped when he saw the tiny bundle lying on the luxurious green embroidered bedspread. He stood in awe watching as tiny fists waved in the air in an anger that matched its cries. Unsure of what to do he cautiously walked over to the unhappy infant and gently picked it up. Awkwardly shifting the child in his arms to a more comfortable position he noticed the crying had ceased and a pair of steel blue eyes looked up at him. The baby sensing it was safe drifted back to sleep. Henry's breath caught in his chest as he watched tiny eyelids flutter closed. Gently he lowered himself and the baby to the bed, hoping not to wake the sleeping baby. As he watched the child sleep he realized he was holding in his arms the only link he had to Vicki.


	3. Chapter 3

Henry tried his best to call the few contacts he had around town to see if anyone had seen any sign of Vicki. No one had seen her. He had convinced Edith, a retired Catholic Schoolteacher that he conversed with regularly in passing, to take the baby during the days if needed until he found where the baby came from and belonged. He did not go to the police with the baby; he trusted Vicki had a reason for why she left him.

The child, with its red hair and fair skin would have made his father proud and he allowed himself to drift in and out of daydreams about it. He imagined Mary laying in the bed, tired and proudly cradling their baby while his royal father came in to see if a male heir had been born. The thought of the look of pride on his fathers face made him smile. He imagined teaching his son about fighting and fencing, about art, books and everything else. Henry thoroughly enjoyed his daydreams.

Over the next few nights, Edith taught Henry how to feed the baby, who he named Noah, and to wash him. He learned how to change him and rock him to sleep. Edith enjoyed taking care of Noah during the day and teaching Henry how to care for him at night. She never questioned Henry on his need for her to watch Noah during the day because Henry and Noah had brought joy and meaning back into her life.

Edith understanding the joy and love Henry was experiencing with Noah never said a word when Henry would get excited over something new that Noah would learn even though she'd already seen him do it. She loved watching Henry's excitement over the small things; it brought back so many wonderful memories from happier days in her life.

Edith and Henry grew very close in just a few months and they would share stories about their pasts together. Edith would share her wisdom that she had learned over the years about children and boys with Henry as a Grandmother would share with her grown grandchildren and Henry came to love her in that way. In all his years of living he didn't realize there was still so much to learn. He allowed himself to believe that things could go on like this forever, with him taking care of Noah at night and Edith watching him during the day. He was even considering calling up Cellucci and vamping him into arranging a birth certificate naming him Noah's father.

As time passed Henry found himself truly enjoying parenthood and gradually forgot about Vicki just abandoning Noah in the middle of the night and his search for her. He had found a very comfortable routine that included playtime, bath, bottles, dinner, bedtime and naptime and still leaving plenty of time for his work and for feeding. He found himself calling on escort services for his meals. He would feed and send them away finding himself more eager to get back to playing with Noah than having empty sex with his dinner.

Henry raced over to Edith's apartment around 2am one night; he was so excited and couldn't wait to tell her the news. Noah had called him "dada". Henry could barely contain himself, he had made up his mind right then and there that he was going to call and get a birth certificate made. He was going to be Noah's father. He told Edith his plans and as much as it pained her to do so, she reminded him that Noah was not his and that he was taking care of him until his friend returned. She stood there holding the tears back as they argued back and forth about Noah before he stormed out, slamming the door and knocking it off its joints.

Noah was around 8 months old, starting to walk and talking up a storm at every chance he got. Henry found out a toddler is no match for a vampire. Even with super speed Noah still managed to get into everything. One night Henry was cleaning up Noah's toys after just putting him down for bed when he heard a thump against his door. He quickly recognized a forgotten scent.


End file.
